30 EPPING FOREST
in the hollow to the right of it, are seen about
half a mile distant.
The whole of the treeless space here seen was
enclosed about 1860, and cultivated, but subse-
quently restored to 'the Forest. Though it is
covered with grass, signs of its former cultivation
are still seen in the ridges and furrows formed
when it was arable land, and which sadly mar its
grace. The Conservators will be grateful to any
one who will suggest a cheap and effectual means
of levelling these regular irregularities. To the
left of this lies the great mass of the Forest, which
extends from here nearly to Epping in a broad
belt, 4 miles long, and comprises in one block
about 4000 acres, nearly the whole of which is
covered with a thicket, more or less dense, of
oak, beech, hornbeam, crab, maple, thorn, birch,
and holly. The whole of this wild and beautiful
wood is worthy of exploration by the visitor, but
from the absence of landmarks, and the intricacy
of the glades and rides, it is not very easy to indi-
cate clearly the best routes.
The immediate purpose being to cross it to
Loughton, keep to the left and follow the
highest part of the ridge, which leads in a curved
line to the " Bury Path," an old forest way from
Chingford to Sewardstone, which has recently
been gravelled. Crossing this, immediately to
the left of Mr. Earee's entertainment pavilion,
seen on the right front, follow a narrow ride
which leads from this point, in an easterly direc-
tion, to Connaught Water; or else, keeping rather
more to the left, enter a picturesque green glade
which runs eastwards from the " Woodman's Arms,"
a small inn on the edge of the Forest. This leads
in a few hundred yards to a little winding rill called
" Cuckoo Brook." Follow its right bank for 100
yards, then cross it by a well-defined track, and
ascend the opposite hill to some shallow ponds
known as the " Cuckoo Pits." Soon after passing
these, the visitor, if he does not lose his way in
the mazes of this part of the Forest, but keeps
his head, and his easterly direction, comes in